Kentucky Shocks No. 6 Ole Miss in Surprising Fashion

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The Kentucky Wildcats (3-2, 1-2 Southeastern Conference) came into Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Miss., on Sept. 28 and upset the No. 6 Ole Miss Rebels (4-1, 0-1) by a score of 20-17. The third time was the charm for Kentucky, which got its first SEC win of the season, three games into conference play. The Rebels on the other hand failed their first SEC test of the season.

Kentucky at Ole Miss Summary

This game was a dogfight in which both teams relied heavily on their defenses. Kentucky held the Rebels to a season-low 17 points while finding their identity on offense. Kentucky Quarterback Brock Vandagriff had his best game of the season, passing for 243 yards and a touchdown while helping the Wildcats keep the ball out of the hands of quarterback Jaxson Dart and the Ole Miss offense. The Wildcats had possession of the ball for nearly 40 minutes.

The Wildcats benefitted from a little luck when backup quarterback Gavin Wimsatt's fumble was recovered in the end zone by tight end Josh Kattus for a touchdown and the go-ahead score.

On fourth-and-7 with only seconds left in the fourth quarter, Ole Miss kicker Caden Davis missed a 48-yard field goal to tie the game ensuring a Kentucky victory.

Turning Point

Down by 4 points and facing a fourth-and-7 from their own 20-yard line, head coach Mark Stoops and Kentucky decided to go for it. The result was a 63-yard pass and catch from Vandagriff to WR Barion Brown to keep the game-winning drive alive.

What It Means

For Kentucky, this is their biggest road win since 1977 when they defeated No. 4 Penn State. After falling 0-2 in conference play, winning this game to avoid being 0-3 in the SEC is a huge deal for the Wildcats and may have just saved their season.

The Rebels had high expectations for this season and this loss is a major setback for a team looking to make the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff. While this loss does not eliminate them from playoff contention, head coach Lane Kiffin and the Rebels will need to avoid any more missteps if they're still going to achieve their goals.